Falling for Him
by ZefronsAngel
Summary: A series of short drabbles on different moments in Hiccup and Astrid's relationship written from Astrid's perspective.
1. First Day

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**So...this is going to be a collection of drabbles about Hiccstrid's relationship from Astrid's point of view. I decided to do this because I feel like she liked him from the start of HTTYD and that the movie and TV series never really covered her perspective of him or the relationship. I also feel like she always had a soft side for him, even if she had to hide it for a while. I will be writing these on scenes from both the movies and the show, so if you have any requests on a section of anything in the HTTYD franchise (excluding the books) you'd like me to write on, let me know. In addition, I would also like to include some moments that were not shown on screen (such as their first "I love you," Hiccup asking her to be his official girlfriend, and the marriage proposal). I know this first one is a bit slow and descriptive, but that's because it's the first and I needed to get the basic facts out of the way. They will get better and more character-focused rather than description-focused.**

**...**

If someone had told me five years ago that I would one day become Astrid Haddock, I would have knocked them over the head with my axe and laughed in their face. Then, I would have gone home, lain in my bed, and, with guilt, wished that declaration would one day come true.

You see, I've liked Hiccup Haddock for as long as I can remember. Now, with him being my new husband and me being his new wife - or his "darling," as he likes to call me - I am completely head-over-heels, smitten, and fiercely in love with him. After all, he brings out my better side, causes me to smile a bit more each day, and simply loves me as much as I love him.

But I think I'm getting ahead of myself. Let me look back to the day where it all started, and begin to tell you our story from there.

...

I stepped into the arena, my fist clenched around the axe I always carried with me, my armor on, and my disheveled blonde hair falling over my left eye. I was fifteen years old, and ready to learn the trade for which Berk had been famous for as far back as anyone could remember: dragon killing.

Behind me, a few other teens my age filed in. There was Snotlout Jorgenson, Ruffnut and Tuffnut Thorston, Fishlegs Ingerman, and then, lastly, Hiccup. I was beyond thrilled to be training with him, though I wouldn't dare admit it to anyone. Although he didn't look much like a Viking, he was absolutely adorable. He was short and skinny, his face was round, his auburn hair was messy, his smile was crooked, he had freckles covering his nose and cheeks, and his chin was marked with a small scar. However, I was a Hofferson. I was supposed to be tough, courageous, and the best warrior in the village. My family - along with half the island of Berk - would have never let me hear the end of it if I befriended Hiccup. After all, he was the outcast, the misfit, and the ultimate embarrassment of the Hairy Hooligan tribe. His father being one of the greatest chiefs in history didn't exactly help his reputation, either.

I looked over my shoulder at him. He blushed and grinned. "Uh...hi...um...Astrid." Oh my gods, his stuttering made him cuter than I'd thought he could get. I just wanted to smile back and ask him how his day had been so far (cheesy, I know).

But I needed to keep my family's reputation in mind. Biting my tongue, I forced a death glare before turning back around. As we began our lesson, I struggled to erase any sympathy that was clouding my mind. I was here to fight, to win, to prove myself, and to protect the Hofferson name. Not to sit around throwing a silent pity party for the chief's seemingly useless son.


	2. Lunch

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This drabble is from the scene where the students are introduced to the Book of Dragons while eating after a day of training. If you look closely, you can see in that scene that Astrid looks over at Hiccup a couple times while he's sitting alone. Just something that makes me think she liked him already here:)**

**By the way, all dialogue is inspired by Dreamworks HTTYD movie and TV series. If it sounds familiar, I probably do not own it.**

**...**

I sat down with my classmates to eat at a table in the Great Hall - all except for Hiccup, that is. He had a habit of disappearing, usually at times when he'd be missing meals or other social activities within training. I guessed it was because he didn't have any friends.

"Over the next few days, you will all need to read the Book of Dragons," Gobber the Belch, our teacher, announced. He placed a thick book in the middle of the table. "You must become familiar with each kind, so that when the time comes, you'll be able to defeat them all."

"I read this like five times," Fishlegs said with a grin. "It's a real page-turner."

"Read? Who has time for that," snorted Tuffnut.

It was then that I noticed Hiccup sitting at the table beside us, alone. He must have snuck in while we were being introduced to the book. An urge to go over and join him bit at my conscience. He looked so sad, so lonely, and so out of place as he stared at his plate and picked at his food.

"I'm not reading either," Ruffnut said.

"But if I don't read, you have to read," Tuffnut declared.

"Yeah, right." She slapped him.

"Ouch! Watch it, sister!" He hit her back with just as much force.

"I already know all there is to know about dragons," Snotlout announced. "I don't need some stupid book to help me. Right, Astrid?" He cast me a smirk, which I simply rolled my eyes at. Snotlout had been after me for the longest time, which I was growing tired of. I had no feelings for him other than hatred, and I tried to make certain he knew that. Unfortunately, he didn't seem to take the hint.

Once the meal had ended, I pushed my plate away and rose to follow the rest of the class outside, only to see Hiccup standing next to me. I struggled not to smile.

"So Astrid, I uh...I guess we'll um...share the book?" he said, his cheeks tinting red.

Share? Yes! That would be amazing. We could sit beside each other in front of the fire, read, talk, laugh, and just have a good time. Not to mention, I could try laying some of my Hofferson charm on him. It would be the definition of perfection. But I couldn't. There was no _way _I could hang out with him and still have the respect I had from my classmates and my family.

I almost died as he smiled awkwardly at me. Why did he have to be so cute? "I uh..."

Taking a deep breath, I shoved the book towards him. "Already read it," I snapped, stopping him from saying whatever it was he'd been about to say. It was a lie, though. I had never even gone near the Book of Dragons.

Hiccup appeared to be even more embarrassed than he had been at first. "Well, I guess it's all mine, then," he muttered, obviously dejected. I longed to wrap my arms around him and give him the biggest hug. But there were two things that made me think twice. First of all, he was worthless Hiccup Haddock. And secondly, the Hoffersons didn't do hugs. We were more about punches and slaps to the face (and, to this day, still are).

Without another word, I grabbed my axe, pushed past him, and ran to catch up with the others.


	3. Deadly Nadder

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is the scene where they are trying to avoid the Deadly Nadder and Astrid falls on top of Hiccup. Again, all dialogue is inspired by the movie itself. I do not own the ideas.**

**...**

It had just been announced that we needed to practice avoiding the Deadly Nadder in class today. This was probably the most intimidating dragon we were to face yet, but I wasn't afraid. I wasn't afraid of anything. I was ready to show that dragon who was in charge.

"You begin...now," Gobber declared. Opening a door, he released the Nadder into the arena.

Everyone scrambled to find a hiding place. That is, except for Hiccup.

"Hey, you know, I'd really like to know how to sneak up on a Night Fury. There wasn't anything on it in the Book of Dragons," he was saying to Gobber.

"There is no information. No one's ever met one and lived to tell the tale," I heard Gobber respond. "Now get in there!"

"But -"

"No."

"There's not a Night Fury pamphlet or -"

"No."

What was he _doing? _I watched him for a moment before I realized that the Nadder was quickly approaching. I immediately crouched behind the nearest wall, aware that Snotlout was following close behind. Hiccup was still standing out in the open, prodding Gobber for more information on the mysterious species of dragon. I tried not to smile. He was insane, yet too cute at the same time.

"You can't tell me _anything_?"

Panic raced through my heart as I saw the Nadder creeping up behind Hiccup. "Get down!" I whispered to him, not realizing that the words had actually come out of my mouth.

The blue dragon roared and turned in my direction. I rose and swung my axe at its face.

"Anyone ever seen one napping? Maybe they take the daytime off. You know, like a cat." That was Hiccup again, still oblivious as to what was going on.

"Don't worry. I got this," Snotlout said, pushing me aside.

I screamed and prepared to knock him over the head. However, I never had the chance, for the Nadder was on my heels. Evidentially, the others had also gotten the message, for the arena was full of everyone shouting and swinging swords. All except for Hiccup.

"You know, I could've stopped it, but the sun was in my eyes. And I don't have time to block that out now, babe." Snotlout winked.

I pulled my hands into fists as I ran. I wasn't sure who I wanted to hurt more - the dragon or Snotlout.

Suddenly, things took a turn for the worst. Thor knows how, but the walls that had been set up around the room for today's practice were beginning to collapse. Pushing my hair out of my eyes, I continued to run. However, I was soon stopped as I tripped over something that I couldn't see. "Hiccup!" I shouted, realizing that I would crash into him if he didn't move.

He slowly glanced in my direction. But he didn't get out of the way.

I fell, knocking him over along with me. My body was pressed on top of his and my axe was stuck in the shield he had been carrying. Well, this was awkward. Awkward, but yet kind of hot.

"Ooh, love on the battlefield," Tuffnut sneered.

My cheeks grew warm as I struggled to free my weapon.

"She could do _so _much better," put in Ruffnut.

I bit back the curses that were on the tip of my tongue as I finally yanked the axe free. Rolling off of Hiccup, I stood to find all the others laughing and joking around about what had just happened. For the first time in my life, I was being made fun of. My first instinct was to help Hiccup up, as he seemed as if he were in pain after the incident. However, I knew that wouldn't help the situation. So instead, I decided to do the only thing I could do in order to protect my reputation.

"Is this some kind of joke?" I shouted, staring down at him.

"Uh..." He looked just as humiliated as I was, the poor thing.

"Our parents' war is about to become ours," I snarled, pointing my axe at his throat. "Figure out which side you're on."

Hurt was clearly seen in his eyes. I swore that I saw a few tears gathering there as well. Feeling a rush of sympathy, I quickly hurried out of the arena. I could have cried - _if_ the Hoffersons cried, that is. But they didn't. So instead, I found a spot in the forest and began chopping at trees with my axe in an attempt to rid myself of the many emotions I was feeling: victory for outsmarting the Nadder, embarrassment for being laughed at, and regret for doing something that had probably made Hiccup feel even worse than I was feeling now.

Yanking my weapon from a tree stump, I pushed my hair out of my mud-streaked face and considered the fact that Hiccup was probably at home, crying and wishing that he never had to go back to classes. I thought about going over there and apologizing. But that was also on the long list of things the Hoffersons never did. Besides, what would I gain from saying I was sorry?


	4. Suspicions

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is where Astrid finally talks to Hiccup after he brings Toothless to the workshop to get untangled. I'm not too sure about how I did the conflicting emotions in here, so please let me know if I completely screwed it up so I can fix it. I do not own the ideas for the dialogue.**

**...**

I took a deep breath as I headed toward Gobber's workshop, where Hiccup could usually be found. The past few days, he had suddenly become talented in dragon fighting, making him the star pupil of the class. And as much as I hated to admit it, I felt that he'd been up to something unfavorable, which was not okay no matter how I felt about him. First of all, he always disappeared from training early and arrived late. He never used any weapons during battle practice, yet the giant animals didn't dare to lay a tooth on him. But not only the dragons were changing; the other students were, too. Suddenly, they were all taking an interest in him - or his skills, at least. And though they prodded him for his secrets, he never had an answer. Suspicious? I thought yes.

"Hiccup?" I called softly as I approached the workshop.

There was no response except for a few loud noises.

"Hiccup, I know you're in there."

It was then that Hiccup walked out, hurriedly slamming the door behind him. "Oh, hey...uh...hi Astrid. Hi Astrid. Hi...Astrid." He blushed and gave me one of his crooked grins. If this wasn't the cutest thing ever, I didn't know what was.

I felt a small smile creep upon my lips. For a short second, we simply stared at each other.

"Uh..." he started.

Remembering that I was supposed to be interrogating him, I put on a straight face. "Normally, I don't care what people do, but you're acting weird. Well, weirder."

He looked flustered. Before he could respond, he disappeared through the window of the shop, causing the shutters to slam in my face and leaving me thoroughly confused. Well, that had gone just fine. I had gotten no answers _and_ probably had made myself look stupid in front of him.

"Hiccup?" I peeked inside, only to be met with darkness. What was going on with him? Had I been too harsh? That hadn't really been my intention, as it had only been the two of us alone. Wait, maybe that was it. Perhaps I had made him nervous. The thought caused me to smile. If that was the case, then there was a chance that he liked me! Chewing on my lip, I turned around and began the walk back to my house.

As I lay in bed that night, I couldn't help fully putting aside my suspicions about Hiccup and thinking instead about our brief conversation - if it could even be called that. My imagination began to show me scenes of what our future could be like. However, I knew it could never come true. Even if he did have a crush on me as I did him, it would never go anywhere. Vikings had a way of marrying for social status reasons, and seeing as my family was far from rich, it would never work. I mean, Hiccup was the chief's son! Only a girl of high status could claim him, no matter how adorably awkward he was. She would probably be wealthy, good at sewing, skilled in the kitchen, and absolutely beautiful - all the things I wasn't. Sometimes I hated customs. Then again, I was really hating myself for even thinking of having a relationship with - let alone marrying - Hiccup.

Holding back tears of frustration, I took my axe and snuck off into the woods, ready to take my whirl of emotions out on the trees.


	5. Cheater

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is the scene with the battle that would determine who would kill the Monstrous Nightmare. By the way, I just realized that if Hiccstrid had a song, it would be ****_I'm Only Me When I'm With You _****by Taylor Swift. It totally defines their relationship. Just thought I'd mention it:) But anyhow, here's the next drabble.**

**...**

It was the final day of training, the day when we would find out which student would earn the reward of killing the Monstrous Nightmare during final exam. And to be honest, I was feeling a bit nervous. Okay, a _lot _nervous. Ever since I'd tried to talk to Hiccup, things had grown worse. He was quickly becoming better and better - even better than I was. As much as I thought he was cute, I couldn't help but feel angry. I had worked my butt off during the course, while he had done basically nothing but think up cheats (or so I thought). Going by his word, he had simply earned his skills by chance.

I wasn't going to lie; if I did not win the honor of killing the dragon, I would be angrier than I'd ever been in my life. Especially after losing my parents as a young child, I'd always felt the need to prove myself and protect the Hofferson name, as the only relatives I had left on Berk were grandparents and a great-aunt. Since they were too old to partake in warrior tasks themselves, they had laid the responsibility on me to show the village that the Hoffersons were strong, courageous, and fearless. (Now my family isn't a topic I like to talk about, but I figured you would need to know the full truth at some point.)

I pushed my hair off my face and struck the Gronckle before me with my bare hands. This was it. This was what would determine who would be the best in show.

As students were eliminated, I fought harder and harder. Eventually, it came down to Hiccup and I.

"Come on, Astrid!" I heard my grandfather shout from the watching crowd.

Suddenly, my emotions boiled up. Taking my axe, I held it to Hiccup's throat and hissed, "Out of my way. I'm winning this thing."

"B-By all means, please do," he responded nervously.

Quickly washing away the tiny bit of guilt I was feeling, I went back to my task of defeating the dragon. Since it was coming toward me, I took cover, planning to wait until it passed and then sneak up on it from behind. But to my horror, when I rose from my spot, Hiccup was already backing the Gronckle into one of the pens.

The crowd cheered.

I was in a rage. I had just embarrassed myself in front of half the town and probably lost the honor of slaughtering the Nightmare, and all because the guy I liked had turned out to be a cheater.

"You son of a troll!" I screamed, slamming my axe onto the ground. "You mudge-bucket, rat-eating -"

I was cut off as a bell rang, signaling that the winner was to be announced.

"You know, I think I should head out. I'm kind of late," Hiccup said nervously.

"Late for _what?_" I sneered, growing more suspicious by the second.

"Alright, let's hear who Elder Gothi has chosen to kill the Nightmare during your final exam tomorrow," Gobber spoke, stepping out into the arena. He pointed to me.

The elder shook her head. I had dreaded this outcome, but the humiliation in front of my town - and my family - felt worse than I could ever have imagined.

I could barely watch as the elder nodded toward Hiccup.

The crowd cheered. Rolling my eyes, I stomped off, still angry at Hiccup. Why had he done this? He'd used to be so honest, so genuine, and so kind. But this whole dragon fighting thing had turned him into a sorry excuse for a chief's son.

Now, I really felt like an idiot.


	6. Toothless

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is where Astrid meets Toothless! I've been so excited to write this and the one with the romantic flight ****_and _****the cove scene where she first kisses his cheek. But for now, it's just where she meets Toothless. **

**...**

I sat down on a large rock, tired after swinging my axe around in the woods for the past hour and not quite ready to go home and face my family after the day's events. Hearing a noise, I turned my head to see Hiccup pushing his way through the trees with a bundle. Curious, I leaned in for a closer look. What was he up to? He should've been celebrating his victory with the others, not hanging out alone. And he was even in _my _"alone" spot.

"Gotta get out of here," I heard him mutter. "Gotta go." It almost sounded as if he were preparing to run away. But why? I decided to keep watching him. Maybe I'd find out.

"A-Astrid!" Hiccup shouted, his eyes focusing in on me. "What...what are you doing here?" He tossed his bundle aside and fidgeted nervously.

Oh my gods, he was still adorable even though he'd been a jerk for cheating. Forcing myself to keep a straight face, I jumped off the rock and stood directly in front of him. "I wanna know what's going on. Hiccup, no one just 'gets' as good as you did. _Especially _you." I crossed my arms across my chest.

"Well, I uh..." he stammered.

"Start talking. Are you training with someone? Have you been taking private lessons?"

"Uh...training? No um..." He slowly backed away. I stepped towards him with every inch he moved.

"It better not involve _this._" I grabbed his shoulder, indicating the new "armor" - if it could even be called that - that he was wearing over his usual clothes.

"I know, I know. _This _looks really bad." He sighed.

Suddenly, I noticed movement in the nearby trees. I squinted my eyes for a closer look. I thought I could make out a dragon lurking in there. Feeling a surge of panic, I shoved Hiccup onto the ground and bravely made my way towards the rustling leaves.

Before I could reach the area to further investigate, Hiccup was in front of me. "Alright, alright, I'm through with the lies. I've been uh...making...outfits. Yeah...so drag me back, tell on me, it's time everyone knew." He grabbed my wrist and placed my hand on his chest. I wasn't quite sure why, but I kind of liked it.

After a few seconds of consideration, I did the only thing I could think of to do. I locked my fingers around his arm - my nails digging into his skin - and twisted it nearly backwards. "That's for the lies," I hissed, pushing him over and kicking his legs.

"Why would you _do _that?" he asked, shocked.

I then hit him in the stomach with the bottom of my axe's handle. "And _that's..._for everything else."

He moaned in pain as he slowly rose from the grass. "I uh..."

At that moment, a huge, black, and growling dragon emerged from the trees. Gasping, I fell to the ground, pulling Hiccup along with me. He might have made me mad, but I didn't want him hurt by anyone or anything - other than me, that was. When I eventually grew brave enough to rise, I gripped my axe tightly and, biting my lip, slowly crept towards the giant animal. It was like no other dragon I had ever seen before. I wasn't quite sure how to fight it, but I knew I could find a way if I tried. Or at least I _thought _I could. However, I was stopped as Hiccup appeared before me and shoved me away, causing me to fall. Was he trying to _protect _me? Aww, how sweet. I was about to ask him what he was planning on doing, as he carried no weapons, but he spoke before I could open my mouth.

"It's okay, it's okay." He seemed as if he were not only reassuring me, but the dragon as well.

"But -" I stood up.

"You just scared him," Hiccup explained to me. Grabbing my axe, he tossed it into a bush. The creature immediately calmed down.

"_I _scared _him? _Who exactly is _him, _anyway?" My eyes grew wide with shock as I began the walk over to retrieve my weapon.

He then turned his full attention to the dragon. "It's alright, buddy. She's a friend."

I quickly twisted back around. This was outrageous. Hiccup was _talking _to a _dragon? _Was this some type of joke? Where had he learned to do this? Did this have something to do with his overnight success in dragon fighting?

"Astrid, meet Toothless," he said to me. I froze. He'd actually _named _this dragon? What was wrong with him?

"Uh -"

"Toothless, Astrid."

"Um...uh..." I tried to go on, but couldn't. Then, suddenly feeling overwhelmed with shock, fear, and horror, I turned and ran in the direction of home as fast as I could. I wasn't exactly sure what I was going to do about the situation, but I knew I had to do _something._ After all, Hiccup was hanging out with a _dragon! _That he had _named! _This was not right. Someone had to be told. Someone had to stop him from whatever it was he was doing with that thing before it killed somebody. This was not how life was meant to go on the island of Berk.


	7. Wild Ride

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**Okay, so this is where Astrid rides on Toothless. I love this part:)**

**...**

I was running. I had to get home. I had to tell someone what Hiccup was up to. I mean, he was treating that dragon like a _pet!_

However, I never reached my destination, for I was unexpectedly lifted off the ground. I screamed, then realized that I was being carried away by the very same creature I had just encountered. And Hiccup wasridingit. _Riding _it! I had no idea what to make of any of this.

"Hiccup!" I shouted. "What are you doing? Get me down from here!" I kicked my legs, but he only continued to lead the dragon - who was apparently called Toothless - higher up into the air. "Stop! Hiccup!"

He didn't respond.

After a few moments, the animal dropped me onto a tree branch. I clung to the shaky piece of wood, scared to climb up closer to Toothless and scared to try to make my way down.

"Astrid, just...just listen to me," Hiccup said, hovering over the tree on the giant reptile.

"I don't want to hear _anything _you have to say!" I shrieked, fear and shock overtaking my body. I was a real mess.

"You don't have to," he reassured kindly. "But let me...let me _show _you."

"I just want to get down. Please, Hiccup," I begged.

He cast me one of his crooked grins. "Get on. It's okay."

Deciding that I could trust him, I pulled myself up the rest of the tree and struggled to climb onto Toothless' back. It scared the crap out of me that I was actually about to get on a dragon, but it seemed as if I had no other choice. Hiccup would've kept me held hostage if I hadn't. It was a bold move on his part, and I kind of liked it - though I was still terrified.

Hiccup held out his hand to help me, but I swatted it away and climbed behind him myself. Biting my lip, I wondered where I should hold onto. I didn't want to seem helpless and cling to Hiccup, yet I was nervous to grab Toothless.

"Toothless, down. _Slowly,_" commanded Hiccup.

The dragon obeyed at first, then abruptly sped up to the speed of light. I screamed as I began to fall backwards. Maybe it had been a mistake to get on this animal. Maybe Hiccup was trying to get back at me for what I had just done to him in the woods.

"Toothless, what are you doing?" he shouted.

I pulled myself back up after much effort and, surrendering my pride and dignity, curled my legs around Hiccup's stomach and gripped his neck as I buried my face in his shirt. "I'm sorry! Hiccup, I'm so sorry. Please, just..."

We dipped down to the sea and began to roughly bounce up and down to the rhythm of the waves.

"Toothless, what are you doing? We need her to like us!" Hiccup exclaimed. He sounded horrified. "I apologize, Astrid. He's not normally like this."

As the reptile rose back into the air and started to spin, I screamed. My nails dug into Hiccup's chest. "Get me off of this thing! I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."

"And now the spinning. Thanks for nothing, you useless reptile," Hiccup said to Toothless. I would've smiled at that remark if I hadn't been fearing for my life.

Suddenly, as soon as it had all began, Toothless slowed down to a comfortable pace. I felt myself relax. I was _flying. _With _Hiccup. _This must have been his secret all along, and now he was sharing it. With _me. _The thought made me smile - though I still thought it was crazy that we were on a dragon. I lifted my head to see that we were high up amongst the fluffy clouds. It could possibly have been the most beautiful thing I'd experienced in my life.

Little did I know, it was just about to get better.


	8. Romantic Flight

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**Here's the romantic flight scene. I swear, this is where we first see Astrid's soft side, which is why I like it so much. It just shows she's comfortable around Hiccup, which I think is important in their relationship. I think it shows too that she secretly loves to cuddle - but only with her Hiccup, obviously:) (By the way, if you wanna see more of my headcanon about her loving to cuddle, check out my story ****_Sleep _****in my oneshot collection. It takes place once Hiccstrid are married).**

**Also, regarding the inaccuracy of the dialogue...I do change it a bit for my drabbles just because first of all, I feel like I'd simply be writing out the movie itself if I didn't. Secondly, I have a very creative mind, so I like to add things that are in my head, but still are based on the dialogue. I do pull up the scenes on YouTube and rewatch right before I write, but I don't want to copy word for word. **

**...**

I watched in amazement as we sailed up higher and higher, neither one of us speaking a word. This couldn't be real. I had to be dreaming. I was flying on a _dragon. _With the adorably awkward guy I had a crush on. Wow. I never would have expected this from him in a million years. He might have wrongly and cleverly worked his way through dragon training, but he sure knew how to dissolve my anger and make my heart melt (and he still does - it's one of her many things I love about him).

Reaching out a hand, I touched one of the clouds beside me and gasped, still in wonder about what was going on. As Hiccup moved slightly, his arm brushed against my side, making me blush and smile. For the first time in my life, I felt like I could let my guard down by abandoning my tough image and allowing my softer side - which I didn't even realize I had - to show through. He definitely did not seem to mind that I wasn't screaming and fighting him anymore. In fact, he looked as if he were enjoying the moment as much as I was.

We rode around in silence for Thor knows how long. All I could determine was that it must have been at least a few hours, for the clouds were beginning to turn shades of orange and pink as sunset began. And let me tell you - it was even more breathtaking being in the sky at dusk than it was in full daylight. Words cannot even describe how magnificent it felt.

Toothless took a turn as I gazed at my surroundings in awe. Around the bend, we were met with the famous Northern Lights. The _Northern Lights! _A huge grin spread across my face. This had to be a dream. It just _had _to be. And it was. It was a dream come true.

Overwhelmed with joy at the sights I had been seeing all evening and feeling a rush of gratitude toward the green-eyed boy in front of me, I impulsively wrapped my arms around Hiccup's waist in a hug - which broke the unspoken "no hugging" rule the Hoffersons had - and rested my chin on his shoulder. As he looked over at me with an adorable grin, I smiled back, my cheeks tinting red. We stayed like that whilst we continued through the clouds, not a word passing between us.

After a while longer, we stopped and began to simply hover in the now moonlit sky. I relaxed my grip on Hiccup, allowing my fingers to soothingly touch his back as I gently pulled away. "Alright, I admit it," I murmured, my eyes dancing about to observe the breathtaking view once more. "This is pretty cool. It's...amazing." The last word came out in barely a whisper.

Hiccup looked at me and nodded. He appeared to be just as awestruck as I was.

"He's amazing," I added softly to myself, referring to Hiccup. However, as soon as the declaration left my mouth, I realized he must have heard, so I placed my hand on Toothless' side to make it seem as if I'd been talking about the dragon.

Again, he nodded.

"Hiccup...your final exam is _tomorrow,_" I reminded him. "You know you're gonna have to...to..." I leaned over and whispered softly into his ear, "_Kill _a dragon." As I spoke, one of my hands carefully held his arm while the other rested once more on his waist.

"I...I know," Hiccup responded. He leaned forward in order to control Toothless, who had begun moving forward once more. "Don't remind me."

"But what are you going to do?"

"I'll...I'll think of something."

I fell silent again as I pressed against him, a sudden bout of exhaustion trying to take over my body. I couldn't exactly pinpoint _why_ I was being so touchy that night, but it actually wasn't too bad. As long as the people on Berk never found out a Hofferson was getting cuddly with someone - whilst riding on a dragon, nonetheless - everything was all good.


	9. Dragons' Nest

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is the part where Astrid and Hiccup go to the dragon's nest. Next will finally be the cove scene where she kisses his cheek:) And I know Astrid's a bit cuddly in here, but from watching the movie, it seems like this whole dragon ride is where she kind of shows she secretly likes that. It's shown again in the TV series and HTTYD2 (though she'd never admit it to anyone besides Hiccup).**

**...**

Seeing as it was now pitch dark, Hiccup commanded Toothless to take us back to Berk. He might have still been planning to hide out for a while - I don't know - but he seemed concerned about getting me home safely (though I would have happily remained with him if he'd asked me to stay a while longer). However, the dragon had other ideas. Instead of turning in the direction of the village, he twisted around and began taking us in the complete opposite direction.

"Toothless, where are you going?" Hiccup asked.

The dragon responded with a mere purr and continued doing his own thing.

"Toothless..." Hiccup tried again.

In a few minutes' time, we found ourselves dipping down onto a mysterious island. Here, it was chilly, damp, and windy. Shivering, I huddled closer to Hiccup for warmth.

"Where are you taking us?" Hiccup questioned of Toothless for the second time, obviously bewildered.

Before we knew it, the cold disappeared, and was instead replaced by glowing fire as we dove into a cave. All that could be seen amongst the flames were dragons - hundreds of them, and all different kinds - carrying scraps of fish, rocks, and even pieces of dead yak.

"It looks like they're hauling in their kill," Hiccup observed.

"Then what...what does that make us?" I hugged him and buried my face in his shirt, afraid. Although he was likely as helpless in the situation as I was, clinging to him for some reason gave me a sense of safety and security. I guess I was starting to trust him, which was strange seeing as there were not many people I trusted.

He didn't respond. Instead, he just led Toothless to a small tunnel that branched off from the main part of the cave.

I gripped onto Hiccup tighter and peered over his shoulder - my nose still nestled against his clothing - to see a horrific sight. A Gronckle was spitting out a remnant of a rock whilst a giant, menacing dragon loomed in the background. Obviously unhappy with what it had produced, the merciless beast brought its huge, scaly head forward and swallowed the poor Gronckle whole. Closing my eyes, I let out a soft whimper. I wasn't sure what was going on, but I was truly starting to fear for my life.

Evidentially seeing that I was nearly paralyzed from being scared, Hiccup said to Toothless, "Come on, bud. Get us out of here. Now."

Toothless obeyed. However, as we made our way to the exit, the giant dragon noticed us and, making its way over, growled and snapped its murderous jaws at us. I thought we were going to be killed right then and there, but luckily Toothless knew what he was doing and escaped the grasp of the monster - just barely, I might add.

We flew out of the cave and back up into the air. It took me a few minutes to recover from the terrifying experience, but once I did, I realized where we had just been: the dragons' nest. The thing the people of Berk had been after since forever. The thing they had tried time and time again to locate.

It was true: Hiccup and I had just made what could possibly be considered the most important discovery in the history of our island.


	10. Kiss

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**Hope you enjoy this! This part is super cuteee. Also, fanfiction wasn't sending alerts the other day, so if you didn't read the drabble about the dragons' nest, please do:) Just click the button for the previous chapter.**

**Another thing: I might be updating ****_slightly _****less since I'm working on a longer story. The story is regarding the theory that in HTTYD3, the dragons will disappear. It'll be kind of sad/dark, as it is about them disappearing. However, I decided to make Hiccstrid married and Astrid pregnant, so there will be a side plot about them working through the pregnancy. I'll post the first chapter when I finish most or all of the entire story.**

**...**

No less than an hour later, we landed in the cove, where I had earlier confronted Hiccup about his sudden skills in dragon fighting.

"It all makes sense now!" I exclaimed, hopping off of Toothless as we landed. The way home, Hiccup and I had discussed the nest and what its purpose was. And finally, I had been the one to make full sense of the situation. "It's like a giant beehive. They're the workers, and that monster is their queen."

Hiccup followed me onto the ground.

"Come on, we gotta tell your dad about this." I started to run towards the village. This was a threat to Berk. If that ferocious, giant dragon escaped and make its way to the island, we would be in huge trouble. And if anyone else discovered the nest, they would likely not come back alive. We had to warn everybody.

"No! Astrid, wait."

I froze and turned back around.

"We can't. My dad...he'll...he'll _kill _Toothless."

My jaw dropped open in shock. "But...but Hiccup, this is the nest! This is what we've been after for _years! _And you want to keep it a secret? To protect your pet _dragon_? Are you serious?"

"Yes," he replied confidently.

I walked back over to him. He was really sure about this. I didn't quite understand his logic, but I knew that, after the events of the evening, I had to continue trusting him and his actions. "O...Okay then."

We stood there in silence for a few moments as Toothless made his way over to the nearby stream to drink. Now this was getting awkward. I wanted to thank Hiccup for the blissful ride, I wanted to scream at him for the whole dragons' nest incident, and I wanted to urge him to tell me more about how he had come to tame Toothless. However, being a girl who was (and still is) horrible with words, I didn't know where to begin. So instead, I gave him a half-hearted punch on the arm. "That's for kidnapping me," I said softly as I cast him a small smile.

"But...what..." he stammered, rubbing the spot I had just hit.

Taking a deep breath, I shied away from his gaze and pushed my hair out of my eyes. I knew what I wanted to do, but I wasn't sure how he'd respond if I went through with it. As I bit my lip, I told myself that it was either now or never. Momentarily, I determined that I'd rather have it done now. With that decision made, I quickly twisted around and, grabbing Hiccup's face, gave him a kiss on the cheek. "That's for...everything else." The last words came out in barely a whisper as my cheeks turned red and butterflies began to flutter in my stomach.

He looked at me - also blushing - with an expression of bewilderment.

Not sure of what Hiccup was going to say, and too embarrassed to talk about the situation, I darted through the trees and made my way home, where I would lie in my bed and dream about the events of the night - both positive and negative.


	11. Promise

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**So...I need to know. How far do you guys want me to go with this story? I kind of wanted to write on some scenes from ****_Riders_**** and ****_Defenders_****, but I'm not sure if I want to go all the way to HTTYD2, as I won't be able to rewatch and analyze Hiccstrid scenes until it comes out on DVD in November. Also, I wouldn't want to miss out on moments in the new season of ****_Dragons, _****especially since I heard this season that we'll really see a lot of how Hiccstrid became kind of official. So...do you want me to stop after ****_Defenders, _****or would you rather me just take a hiatus until we get the new season and HTTYD2 is released on DVD and write more then? If I want to go in chronological order, that would mean I would have a hiatus from whenever I'm done ****_Defenders_**** until spring, when ****_Masters_**** is released. So just let me know.**

**Also, my new non-drabble chapter story (****_The Vanishing Dragons_****) is posted. Read if you're interested in something a bit darker.**

**...**

I fidgeted nervously as I watched Hiccup walk toward the gate that led to the arena, where he was supposed to kill the Monstrous Nightmare. He'd said during our ride the previous night that he would think of some sort of plan for this event, but he had never disclosed what it was. To be fair, I hadn't exactly talked to him since then, either; I had been a little too embarrassed after kissing his cheek - with little explanation, nonetheless - to strike up any conversation.

"Hiccup! Hiccup! Hiccup! Hiccup!" I heard the gathering crowd cheer. Biting my lip, I decided that now was as good a time as any to go say something to my new friend - or maybe he was my boyfriend. I was unsure.

"Hey," I began, coming to stand beside him. "Be careful with that dragon out there."

"It's...it's not the dragon I'm worried about," Hiccup said. He didn't even look over at me. I guessed that either he was feeling too awkward after the kiss or he was overwhelmed with nerves. I kind of hoped - with guilt - that it was the latter.

"What are you gonna do?" I asked gently, pushing my hair out of my face.

"Put an end to this," he stated, using the same force in his voice that he had used when I'd asked him in the cove if he was serious about protecting his pet dragon. "I have to try."

I was silent. Worry overtook me. How was he going to carry this out? What if he was executed on the spot for his lies and defiant attitude? After all, no one else on the island had ever attempted something like this before. They wouldn't dare.

Hiccup sighed and turned his face toward me. "Astrid, if...if something would...go wrong, promise me that they...they won't find Toothless."

I was shocked. The only time we had spent time together that didn't include either fighting or beating up dragons in training had been last night, and he was already willing to entrust me with the thing he seemed to care most about? It was a satisfactory, yet scary feeling. I wasn't sure I was ready for such a huge responsibility. And what if the crowd _did_ find Toothless? Hiccup would probably hate me forever. However, if I outright refused, he would think I was against him. There was really no real way to win this.

"I...I will." My voice shook. "Just...just promise me it won't...won't go wrong."

His eyes met mine. They were full of fear, pain, and, if my imagination wasn't mistaken me, gratitude and trust. He opened his mouth to speak, but nothing came out. He tried again, but Gobber appeared before he could get any words out.

"It's time, Hiccup," Gobber announced. "Go out there and knock 'em dead."

With one final glance at me, Hiccup slowly walked into the open space. I barely heard the crowd's noise anymore, nor the opening of the pen to release the Nightmare, for my palms began to sweat and my heart threatened to leap out of my chest.

All I could do at this point was hope that things didn't take a turn for the worst. But unfortunately, I was soon to be disappointed.


	12. Disaster

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**So...I made up my mind that I'll keep this story going till the point where Hiccup and Astrid become official in the future season of ****_Dragons. _****After that, I might make a sequel to this about their relationship, but I'm not sure yet. I'll see how this ends first:)**

**...**

I frantically ran about the vacant village, searching for Hiccup. His whole attempt at "putting an end" to dragon killing had just gone completely wrong. Neither his father - Chief Stoick the Vast - nor Berk's citizens had agreed with the idea that dragon slaughtering should be stopped. As a result, a huge riot had erupted in the arena. My promise to keep Toothless safe had been broken, for in the midst of the chaos, the Night Fury had shown up, only to be captured by Stoick and forced away by the entire village. On top of that, Hiccup himself had been dragged off. I feared he'd been sent into exile, but a small piece of me clung to hope, and I prayed to the gods that my suspicious would be proven false.

"Hiccup!" I shouted, flinging open the door to the blacksmith shop. He wasn't there. He hadn't been in his house. He hadn't been in the Great Hall, and he hadn't been at the cove. This was not looking good. Not at all.

"Let's go!" I heard Stoick shout from the docks. A tear trickled down my cheek. Without a second thought, I rushed toward the shore, my heart pounding in my chest as I prepared myself to see Hiccup chained up on a departing ship. However, when I got closer, I realized that he was not being sent off. Instead, he was standing alone, watching the townspeople sail away - Toothless leaving along with them.

Slowing down my speed, I slowly crept in behind Hiccup. He appeared to be pained, scared, and maybe even heartbroken. I let out a sigh and moved closer until I eventually was next to him. Though he avoided my gaze, I still felt that I should try to comfort him. After all, it seemed that no one else would.

"This is a mess," I began hesitantly. "I mean, you've lost everything. Your father, your tribe, your best friend..." I trailed off as I realized I was probably only making things worse. I wasn't good at this comforting thing.

"Thank you for summing that up." He sighed and shook his head, then lifted his face to mine. "Why couldn't I have killed that dragon when I found him in the woods? It would've been better for us all."

"Yup. The rest of us would've done it. So why didn't you?"

He looked away without a response.

"Why didn't you?" I prompted.

"I...I don't know. I just...I couldn't."

"That's not a reason."

"Why is this so important to you all of a sudden?" I could tell by his voice that he was beginning to grow frustrated. However, I was determined to get an answer from him, first because I thought it would help if he got to vent his feelings, and secondly because I was curious about what was going on in his head.

"Because I want to remember what you have to say right now."

"Oh, gods. Hiccup sighed, then narrowed his eyes and continued to speak. "Fine. I was a coward. I was weak. I wouldn't kill a dragon."

"You said 'wouldn't' that time."

"Whatever! I wouldn't! Three hundred years and I'm the first Viking who wouldn't kill a dragon."

"First to ride one, though." A small smile spread across my face as I remembered how wonderful it had been flying through the clouds with him - and on top of a Night Fury, nonetheless. "So..."

"I wouldn't kill him because he looked as frightened as I was. I looked at him and I saw myself." His lower lip trembled.

I bit the inside of my cheek and fought the urge to throw my arms around Hiccup's slender body. There was a time for hugging, but that time was not now. Now was the time to figure out how to fix this disaster - if there even was a way. "I bet he's really frightened now," I spoke evenly. "What are you gonna do about it?"

Hiccup shrugged. "Probably something stupid."

"Good, but you've...you've already done that."

"Then something crazy."

My face lit up as I saw an adventurous gleam in his eyes. "Now that's more like it."

Without another word, he turned and started to run. I didn't hesitate for more than a second before I sprinted after him.


	13. Departure

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This isn't a real scene, but I wanted to write Astrid's thoughts on meeting Stormfly and going with Hiccup and the others to the dragons' nest to fight the Red Death. It's kind of like an extended version of the part where they all first meet/ride their dragons. Hope you still enjoy!**

**By the way...if you watch the TV series, look closely at the episode "Zippleback Down." At the part where Hiccup is asked to get Snotlout out of the trap, he playfully swats Astrid, but there's a split second where I swear his hand touches her ass...then she blushes slightly and gives him a little smirk as he turns away. Naughty Hiccup, haha.**

**...**

I forced myself to relax as Hiccup took my hand and gently placed it on the nose of the very same Nadder I had tried to hurt whilst in training. It turned out that his "something crazy" had been to get all the dragon fighting students on the dragons and go to the dragons' nest, where he suspected his father had gone. He'd explained that if Stoick found the same giant beast we had, he and the other Vikings wouldn't stand a chance. However, he thought that if we all tried to fight the monster whilst on dragons, we'd have a good shot at defeating it.

"Stormfly," I whispered to myself as the aqua-colored reptile smiled at me. That would be her name: Stormfly. Then, to Hiccup, I said, "How will...how will I fly her?" Although I had loved riding atop Toothless with Hiccup steering, I was a bit nervous about controlling a dragon on my own - especially one this large.

"Don't worry; I'll ride with you," Hiccup assured.

"How come _she_ gets a private lesson?" complained Snotlout. "I want -"

"Snotlout, meet your new best friend," Hiccup interrupted as he led the Monstrous Nightmare whom he had been supposed to kill toward Snotlout, who was the only one that hadn't been assigned a dragon yet.

I watched as Snotlout cringed in fear. However, once Hiccup introduced him to the Nightmare, his face lit up with excitement.

"Alright, guys," Hiccup announced. "Get on your dragons and let's go." He watched to make sure the others settled in okay, then climbed atop Stormfly and gave me his hand. "I'll guide her. You sit behind and watch."

"Got it." I allowed him to help me onto my new dragon and fastened my arms about his waist. Nerves bunched in my stomach at the thought of what would happen when we got to the nest, but I struggled not to let my fear show.

"Come on; follow me," commanded Hiccup.

And in a blink of an eye, we were all off.


	14. Red Death (Part I)

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**The Red Death battle scene was too long for a drabble length, so I split it into two parts. This is Part I. And the things that weren't shown in the movie are what I think happened while the movie was focusing on people other than Astrid. Since this is Astrid's POV, she wouldn't know about Hiccup diving underwater to get Toothless and the little talk he had with Stoick and stuff, so yeah. Anyway, here you go.**

**...**

We arrived at the dragons' nest to find what we had all (minus the twins and Snotlout) been fearing we would: the monstrous dragon that had tried to kill Hiccup, Toothless, and I was out in the open. The people of Berk were surrounding it, shrieking in terror. Half of them were running for their lives, and the other half were helping the chief scramble to find things to hit it with - not that a mace or sword would do anything to the beast.

"Ruff, Tuff, watch your backs!" Hiccup shouted as the smoke from the deadly reptile's ferocious blasts came up right behind the twins' Zippleback. "And Fishlegs, keep moving!"

As the air became more and more fogged, I tightened my grip on Hiccup.

"Look at us!" shouted Tuffnut to the crowd below. "We're on dragons! All of us!"

"Alright. Lout, Legs, go find its blind spot. Make noise; keep it confused," called Hiccup in reference to the giant creature. "Ruff, Tuff, find out if it has a shot limit. Make it mad."

"That's my specialty!" Ruffnut shouted back.

"Hey! Everyone knows _I'm_ more annoying!" protested Tuffnut. He turned so he was hanging upside-down on his dragon's neck.

"Just go!" said Hiccup. "I'll be back as soon as I can." With that, he steered Stormfly away from the group. "We're going to find Toothless."

I felt my palms grow sweaty at the sight of the burning ships Hiccup was heading towards. Resting my chin on his shoulder, I pulled my legs about his waist and moved my arms up around his chest.

"It's okay," he reassured, gently pushing my feet off of him. I got the hint that he wanted to be able to move quickly if needed, and accepted the fact that it obviously couldn't happen if I was wrapped around him.

Swallowing hard, I shifted my hands back to his waist.

"There!" he shouted suddenly, directing the Nadder to where Toothless was lying - chains binding him - in one of the smoking ships. Before I knew it, he was handing me the rope he'd fastened to Stormfly for steering purposes and jumping into the boat with his Night Fury.

I froze for a second, trying to register what was happening while, at the same time, fearing that the worst would happen to Hiccup.

"Astrid! Go and help the others!" he shouted.

I obeyed. It felt a bit strange guiding a dragon, but I soon got the feel for it enough that I could move at a decent speed and reach the rest of the group. However, the sick sensation of worry that was churning in my stomach was, to an extent, throwing off my focus. But knowing I had to be brave, I took a deep breath and headed toward Snotlout and Fishlegs, who seemed to be struggling with their duty.

"Die! Die, you troll!" Snotlout was shouting from the beast's face as he smacked one of its six eyes with a hammer.

"Fishlegs, give me a weapon," I commanded.

Fishlegs silently handed me a mace, which I then proceeded to use to pound another of the dragon's eyes with. After what seemed like forever, I looked over my shoulder, only to see no sign of Hiccup. A lump rose in my throat at the thought of what could be happening. Dropping my tool, I rose into the air, determined to find him. What if he needed help? What if he had been burned by the fire too badly to move? What if he was..._dead_? Trying to shake off that last thought, I squinted my eyes and tried to look out over Stormfly's head into the foggy distance.

Nothing.

Sighing, I pushed forward. It was then that I caught sight of Toothless ascending up into the sky - with Hiccup sitting on his back. Relief rushed through my body. "He's up!" I shouted, a grin breaking out onto my face.

However, that ecstatic feeling wouldn't last for long, as things were just about to get worse for all of us - especially Hiccup.


	15. Red Death (Part II)

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**Okay, here's Part II of the Red Death. Also I'll be updating Sundays and Wednesdays from now on (if all goes well). **

**...**

I swooped down to the beast again, knowing that the rest of the group would need me back there as soon as possible. When I arrived, I saw the twins punching each other, Fishlegs on the ground, and Snotlout still standing on the reptile's head. Biting my lip, I neared the monster's face, only to have it open its jaws and try to suck me and the Nadder into its mouth. I said a prayer to Thor and tried in vain to pull my dragon away from its suction.

This was it. I was doomed.

Closing my eyes, I tried not to think of the pain I would feel when the sharp, blade-like teeth cut into my body and brought me to my death. However, before that gruesome event could actually happen, a booming noise was heard and I was completely thrown off my Nadder. I was still probably not going to come out of this alive, but at least falling was better than being torn apart by an ugly, nasty creature - or at least I thought so at the time.

"Did you get her?"

That was Hiccup's voice. Forcing my eyes open, I realized that he had come down on Toothless, who now had my leg grasped safely in his talons.

I smiled. Hiccup and his Night Fury had saved me! I wanted to thank the both of them, but I never got a chance to, for Toothless immediately set me down amongst the crowd that had now formed to watch the battle. The other teens had already made it there - except Hiccup, who was flying off to finish the war.

A feeling of worry overtook my body again. "Go," I whispered softly, bringing my eyes up to watch as Toothless blasted the monster.

The deadly reptile roared and shot fire from its mouth, but Hiccup was luckily out of the way - this time. I wasn't sure that he would be so lucky if it happened again, and that's what concerned me.

The battle went on. Things seemed to be going in Hiccup's favor; at the same time, though, the huge creature didn't appear to be weakening. All I could do was pray to the gods that it would lose some of its power soon.

As I feared, the war eventually took a turn for the worst. The monster breathed a huge blast of flames, one that hid both Hiccup and Toothless from view. I felt a lump rise in my throat, choking me. Tears formed in my eyes. I wanted to look away, but at the same time, I felt like I needed to see what was happening.

The crowd cried out in fear and began to back up.

The fire and smoke lasted for what seemed to me like a lifetime. With each passing second, my heart beat harder as I grew more and more certain that Hiccup was dying. I mean, how could he possibly survive the giant explosion we had all just witnessed?

A loud thud was heard. As the smoky fog died out, the terrible beast was seen lying motionless on the ground. But neither Hiccup nor Toothless were anywhere in sight.

A tear trickled down my cheek. I watched through a blurry gaze while Stoick walked out into the battlefield, shouting for Hiccup. When his cries finally ceased, I moved closer to see him kneeling beside Toothless, who was moving ever so slightly. The Night Fury was safe, but I still didn't believe that his rider had run into the same luck.

"I'm so sorry, son," I heard Stoick say, his voice shaking.

At that remark, Toothless slowly unfolded his wings to reveal a motionless figure. I gulped when I realized it was Hiccup's body, and I felt my stomach flip about ten times over. I'd seen many horrible things in my life, but this was by far the worst.

Gobber rushed to Stoick's side as the chief lifted Hiccup's limp form and held it close to him.

"Wait," Stoick began.

For a few seconds, no sound was made. We all just stood and watched solemnly.

"He's...he's alive!" cried the chief. "The dragon brought him back alive!"

The crowd cheered.

A huge grin broke out upon my face, and my tears of sadness turned to tears of joy. Hiccup had survived! It was a miracle! Thanking the gods, I ran over to my Nadder and hugged her. "Stormfly, Hiccup's alive!" I exclaimed, burying my face into her neck and allowing myself to sob with relief, as well as worry that he would not make it past another couple days. After all, he wasn't even conscious, and had looked so lifeless lying in his father's arms.

Only time could tell what would happen, but until then, I resolved to sit by his side back at home until he either breathed his last or awoke from his coma.


	16. Coma

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This isn't a real scene, but I wanted to put in here a drabble about Astrid's feelings when Hiccup was in a coma.**

**...**

"Astrid, you might as well go enjoy yourself with the others. Elder Gothi says he'll be okay."

I looked up to see Stoick standing in front of me, an unusual expression of kindness in his eyes. For the past three days, I had stayed seated by Hiccup's bed - which had been moved to the sitting room of his home to make things easier - clutching his cold hand in mine and forcing water into his mouth to keep him hydrated. The only times I'd left had been to exercise Stormfly and Toothless, the latter being permitted to stay in the house by the chief.

"Are you sure?" I forced out.

"Positive." Stoick placed a hand on my shoulder. "Gothi told me that she thinks he looks a lot better than he did when he first returned."

"What...what about his leg?" When Hiccup had been brought back to Berk, the lower part of his left leg had been too burnt and damaged to even consider saving. As a result, Gobber and Elder Gothi had cut it off, and Gobber had begun to form a prosthetic from metal for him to use when he awoke.

"She says it's healing fine." The chief smiled. "So, go have fun with the others and their dragons. Hiccup would want you to."

"Okay," I finally agreed. I watched as Stoick walked outside, then gently tucked the furs more tightly around Hiccup's frail body and kissed his bruised forehead. "Please wake up soon," I murmured to him before rising from my seat and summoning Toothless.

The Night Fury gave me an excited grin and licked my face before bounding over to the door.

I led Toothless outside to see the villagers milling about, many of whom had dragons by their sides. After Toothless had saved Hiccup, Stoick had not only allowed him to stay, but had also banished dragon killing from Berk, permitting everyone to use the creatures as pets.

"Astrid, how's Hiccup?" Fishlegs asked, walking over to me with his Gronckle, whom he had named Meatlug.

"The chief says Gothi told him he'll be okay," I answered.

Before Fishlegs could respond, Stormfly ran over to me and gave me a friendly nuzzle as she let out a low purr.

"Stormfly!" I exclaimed, hugging the Nadder's neck. And as I climbed onto her back for a flight, Stoick's words echoed in my head.

_He'll be okay. He'll be okay._


	17. First Kiss

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**This is a day early because I won't be home much tomorrow. Enjoy!**

**... **

"It's Hiccup!" I heard someone shout. Two weeks had passed since the battle with the Red Death, and I had begun to worry that Elder Gothi had been mistaken about Hiccup being alright. But at the exclamation that had just met my ears, I turned around to find that my fears had been proven wrong.

There he was, standing in front of his house with Toothless by his side. Anyone who was outdoors gathered around him, and I pushed through the crowd to greet him with an ecstatic grin. There were a million things I wanted to say, but I was too choked up with joy to actually speak what I wished to.

"That bit's my handiwork," Gobber was stating proudly as he gestured towards Hiccup's metal leg, which had been fastened onto his shortened limb three days before. "With a little Hiccup flair thrown in."

Hiccup shrugged as he looked down at the prosthetic. "Eh, I might make a few tweaks."

The crowd laughed.

Beyond thrilled at the fact that he seemed to be acting like his old self, I snuck up behind him and punched his shoulder, taking care not to hit him too hard in case he was hurting there. "That's for scaring me."

Hiccup twisted around to look at me. "What? Is it...is it always gonna be this way? Because -"

Glaring playfully at him, I moved in and, without a second thought, grabbed him by the front of his shirt and pressed my lips onto his in a kiss. They were dry, chapped, and had a few healing cuts on them, but I was too happy to make a fuss over that. All I wanted was to be close to him.

"You know, I could get used to this," he said with a grin as we pulled away from each other.

I smiled back, a slight feeling of warmth creeping into my cheeks.

Hiccup and I then mounted our dragons, smiles still present on our lips whilst we did so.

And as we took off into the sky, I made a mental note to myself that he would be the one I would someday marry.


	18. Yaknog

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**So...this is the start of ****_Gift of the Night Fury_**** drabbles. I plan to do two: this one (with the yaknog), then one on when Astrid comforts Hiccup at the end. After this, I'll move into the series. And as always, if you'd like me to do a specific scene from the show, PM me or tell me in a review, as some scenes you have in mind I may not. And some people were asking me to write GOFNF-based oneshots in my oneshot collection. I do love that idea, and will get around to it eventually. But anyway, enjoy this update for now:)**

**...**

"Hiccup?" I said as I walked into the forge, where I'd heard Hiccup had been working. Snoggletog, the biggest Viking holiday, was upon us, and all our dragons - except Toothless, who couldn't fly without a rider - had left. No one knew what had happened exactly; they'd just sort of taken off, leaving us Berkians less than happy. Therefore, I had decided to create a few holiday traditions to bury the sadness. The first of these traditions was yaknog, which I was bringing to Hiccup at the moment. Snotlout had choked on it, and the others had refused to even try it, but I was sure Hiccup would be appreciative of my little gift.

"I'm over here, Astrid. Coming!" he called, making me smile to myself. Over the month since he had woken from his coma, we had spent quite a bit of time together. Though things were still sometimes a bit awkward, considering we didn't exactly know if we were friends or a couple, we'd grown pretty comfortable around one another.

I grinned when Hiccup came into view. As he took a seat beside the spot in which I was standing, I held out the tray of yaknog that was in my hands. "Happy holidays, from me, to you."

"Thank you, milady." He took one of the mugs on the tray.

I felt my cheeks tint pink. For some reason, Hiccup had taken to calling me 'milady.' He didn't do it all the time, and he definitely didn't dare to utter it when the others were around, but it was still sort of his unofficial nickname for me. I wasn't bothered by it; in fact, I liked it. It caused butterflies to flutter in my stomach with excitement and made me feel more attracted to him than I already was. I kind of felt guilty because I didn't have a special name for him, but I figured that I would come up with something eventually.

"So, what are you up to?" I queried casually. I was genuinely interested in what he was doing, but I also was curious because if he wasn't too busy, I wanted to ask if he would like to come help me bake cookies or something.

"Okay," he began. "You're gonna think I'm crazy, but I just couldn't stop thinking about what Tuffnut said last night. Toothless can't come and go like the other Dragons. And that's just not fair. I was up all night, and I think I found a way to fix that." I rose an eyebrow curiously as Hiccup took a sip of the yaknog, then looked down at the table in front of him to see part of a new prosthetic tail.

"No way! You're making him a new tail?"

"Mmm, hmm," he responded. I squinted to see that his cheeks looked full, as if he wasn't swallowing the drink.

"What a great gift!" I exclaimed, secretly hoping he would give me a similar complement on my yaknog. When he didn't say anything, I continued with, "But what if...what if he leaves and doesn't come back?"

"Mmm."

It was then that I realized Hiccup was trying not to swallow the beverage, but was reluctant to spit it out in front of me - probably because he didn't want to hurt my feelings. "What am I saying, of course he'll come back."

"Mmm."

"Alright, well I'm gonna go spread some more holiday cheer," I decided, abandoning the idea of asking him to hang out for the time being. He already seemed occupied, and I wasn't about to disturb his work. "You're amazing!" I added over my shoulder as I walked out of the forge.

The only response I heard was the sound of gagging. I really needed to reformulate my yaknog recipe - and find a better Snoggletog gift for Hiccup.


	19. Comfort

**_Falling for Him_**

**_..._**

**Sorry this is late. College sucks. But anyway...last GOTNF drabble! Next will the the start of the DOB drabbles:) And the part at the end where Astrid joins in Hiccup and Toothless' hug is my own idea about what happened after the scene faded out. (By the way, this is one of my favorite moments ever). Just for fun, what's your favorite moment in the franchise?**

**...**

I sighed as I glanced across the crowded room to see Hiccup walking about, his expression clouded with sadness. As it'd turned out, Toothless had indeed flown away once he had received his new tail. While Hiccup had managed to locate and bring back the rest of our dragons - along with the babies they'd had in the meantime - the Night Fury was nowhere to be found.

Taking a closer look, I noticed that Hiccup was forcing a smile. Sympathy rushed through me at the sight. All I wanted to do was go wrap him in my arms and try my best to offer a few comforting words. And that's just the plan I'd go through with.

"Hiccup," I started as I approached him. "I know it must be really hard for you to see everyone with their dragons, but you really did a wonderful thing for us." Leaning down so my eyes were connected with his - as he was a bit shorter than me - I took one of his hands and laced our fingers together. "Thank you." Without warning, I stepped closer and connected my lips with his, then just as quickly clasped him around the shoulders.

To my surprise, Hiccup hugged me back with the same measure of force that I was using. Usually, he wasn't this eager to share a cuddle; I suspect it was mostly because he barely had any experience being embraced. To be fair, I hadn't, either, but then again, I wasn't as shy as he could sometimes be. But now, it was obvious that he needed the affection.

"Astrid," he said eventually as he placed his chin on my shoulder. "Where did Toothless go?"

"I don't know," I murmured.

Feeling a tear that wasn't my own drip onto my neck, I nuzzled the side of Hiccup's head with my own and clutched him more tightly. It was then that I noticed a large, shadowy form moving in the distance. Upon widening my eyes, I saw that it was a Night Fury. But it was clear that it wasn't just any Night Fury - it was Toothless.

"Wow," I breathed, suddenly letting go of Hiccup and placing my hands on his shoulders. "I mean...just wow..."

A blush - along with an unmistakable smile - settled over Hiccup's face. Clearly, he thought I'd been reacting to our little cuddle. And even more clearly, my attempt at comforting him had cheered him up a bit, which made me feel warm and happy inside.

"I sure wouldn't wanna be you right now." I squinted my eyes. "I mean, you brought everyone's dragon back _except_ your own."

"Uh...this isn't helping...I -"

As an excited grin broke out onto my face, I turned Hiccup around so he could see what was behind him.

"Toothless!" he exclaimed, rushing over to the Night Fury and hugging his neck.

I smiled wider at the sight of the reunion before me, and soon became aware that others were gathering around to view it as well.

"Bad dragon, very bad dragon. Don't you ever stay away that long again," I could hear Hiccup scolding. "And what is that in your mouth?"

Almost as if on cue, Toothless spit a slobbery helmet onto his rider's head.

"My helmet..." groaned Hiccup, shaking the drool from his hair. "Wait, you found my helmet! Buddy, thank you."

The crowd cheered as Hiccup threw his arms about Toothless once more.

"Happy Snoggletog!" I exclaimed before making my way over to the reunited pair and joining their embrace.

And what a happy holiday it was indeed.


End file.
